Made with shredded beets, yogurt, lemon, and walnuts this Turkish beet salad (pancar salatasi) is incredibly delicious and easy to make. The sweet and refreshing flavor of roasted beets goes perfectly with the tart, lemon-yogurt dressing.
I love making this dish when hosting a dinner party purely because of how beautiful the color of shredded beets and yogurt is. Some beet and yogurt salad recipes call for tossing the yogurt and beets together but I like to just gently stir in it for the "wow" factor when all the pink and purple color comes out.
Because the process of roasting beets, cooling them, and shredding them is laborious, I recommend making this dish in larger batches for meal prep or ahead of time as a potluck dish. The great thing about beets is they will stay fresh in the fridge for at least 3-4 days after cooking.
This dish would be part of a typical Turkish meze meal, which is a large dinner spread usually consisting of small plates of Turkish dips, bread, salads, and grilled meats.
One thing I love about Turkish cuisine how much focus is put on fresh and healthy foods without any compromise on taste. Many Turkish recipes don't include too many ingredients because it is more about the quality of the produce and the preparation.
Some other great Turkish meze recipes to try with this creamy beetroot salad would be a delicious and filling Turkish rice pilaf or savory Turkish Moussaka.
Key Ingredients
- Red Beets
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Greek Yogurt
- Lemon Juice
- Fresh Mint
Full ingredient list below.
Other salad Recipes
Looking for some other great salads to try? Check these out,
- Spinach Arugula Salad with Creamy Dressing
- Tahini Kale Salad with Honey Roasted Pecans
- Cucumber Beetroot Salad with Herbed Yogurt
Turkish Beet Salad (pancar salatasi)
Nutrition
Ingredients
- 3 red beets (or 2 large beets)
- 2 teaspoon salt (divided)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- 3 tablespoon fresh mint (minced)
- 4 tablespoon greek yogurt
- ½ cup crushed walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Trim the ends off the beets and place them on a sheet of foil on a sheet pan. Drizzle with half of the salt and the olive oil and wrap the foil packet up. Roast in the oven for about 1 hour or until a knife can easily be inserted. Remove and let cool.
- Once the beets are cooled, remove the peels and shred them on the large holes of a cheese grater. Put them into a serving bowl and add the lemon juice, mint, and remaining salt and toss well.
- Gently stir in the greek yogurt (try to make a pretty swirl!) and top with crushed walnuts.
Video
Notes
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Food Safety
- Cook meat to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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